Don't want to damage their self-esteem

The Oklahoman reminds us that many Oklahoma schools "now have either formal or informal minimum-grade policies requiring teachers to give students at least a 50 even when a student doesn't turn in homework."

Empty OKC schools waste taxpayer money

Fox 25 has the story.

Census Bureau notes decline in private-school enrollment

The growth in charter schools could be a contributing factor.

Cole introduces tax-deduction bill for homeschoolers

Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole yesterday introduced H.R. 1850, the Home School Equity Act for Tax Relief, according to a press release from his office.

This legislation allows home school families to receive the same tax deduction currently offered to elementary and secondary teachers for education expenses. Currently, home school families are only eligible for this tax credit in states where they are defined as “private” schools; H.R. 1850 would make this definition apply to all fifty states.
 

“Home school students have increasingly become recognized for their academic achievement and high performance levels,” said Congressman Cole. “As valuable contributors to our nation’s academic future and with more than 1.5 million students nationwide, it makes sense that home school families should also receive this tax credit.

“Choosing to educate children at home is not an easy or inexpensive decision for parents. It requires hours of time teaching and planning, commitment by at least one parent to stay at home and thousands of dollars spent for educational supplies each year. For families in many communities, home schooling is also the only alternative to failing public schools. In order for families to continue providing quality education at home, it is essential that they have the best resources for that success.

“Home school families are directly training up the next generation of leaders. We should support their continued success.”

'Controlling population and public education'

"It is likely that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will continue its commitment to global population control, and now, curriculum creation in the nation’s schools because they truly believe that they know better than anyone else how we all should live," writes Professor Anne Hendershott. "The Core Curriculum is really just another component of population control — it is used to help teach children the 'facts' about climate change and problems of overpopulation."

All of which is sufficiently evil in and of itself, but what's interesting for the purposes of this blog "are concerns that the imposition of the Common Core within the public schools could threaten the autonomy of private schools, religious schools, and home schools. 

An op-ed published in the Orange County Register by Robert Holland, claims that the Common Core could "morph into a national curriculum that will stifle the family-centered creativity that has fostered high rates of achievement and growth for home education…Many private and parochial schools — including those of the 100 Roman Catholic dioceses across the nation, already are adopting the CCSS prescriptions for math and English classes…Their debatable reasoning is that the rush of most state governments to embrace the national standards means publishers of textbooks and tests will fall in line, thereby leaving private schools with no practical alternatives for instructional materials. According to October 8, 2012 article in Education Week by Erik Robelin, it is not just Catholic schools that are adopting the Common Core, some Lutheran and other denominations of Christian schools are shifting to the Common Core, including Grand Rapids Christian in Michigan and the Christian Academy School System in Louisville, KY. According to Robelin, parochial school leaders claim that they must 'remain competitive' with public schools and now feel pressured to adopt the Core. These are real concerns. As Diane Ravitch points out, 'Now that David Coleman, the primary architect of the Common Core standards has become president of the College Board, we can expect that SAT will be aligned to the standards. No one will escape their reach, whether they attend public or private school.'"

Indiana mom says Common Core limits school choice

"As a parent whose children attend a parochial, voucher-accepting school," an Indiana mom says, "I have learned about the Voucher-Common Core link the hard way — in the form of changes to my child's curriculum."

School choice a key part of Women's Lib 2.0

Twentysomething Tina Dzurisin explains.

A nation (still) at risk

ESA provides customized education for special-needs child

Celebrate diversity

The Oklahoma League of Women Voters describes itself as a "nonpartisan political organization" which "works to increase understanding of major public policy issues." To that end, the League is presenting a panel discussion this evening on the topic of education spending. As you can tell by the list of panelists, topics, and sponsors, the League went out of its way to include people from both sides of the issue -- people who think the current failed monopoly deserves more money, and people who think it deserves tons more money.

A tip of the cap to this liberal organization for making this a nonpartisan affair -- both liberal Democrats and liberal Republicans should feel right at home.

More undercounting

The government's "official" per-pupil spending figures do not incorporate the full cost of teacher pensions, Jason Richwine of the Heritage Foundation writes.

Taxpayers ponying up for K-12 education. Again

"Almost four out of 10 Oklahoma high school alumni who enroll in the state's higher education system the fall after graduation take at least one developmental course as college freshmen," the Tulsa World reports.

'18 reasons why doctors and lawyers homeschool their children'

A pediatrician explains.